How To Know If You're Ready For Short Hair, According to The Originals Star Natalie Dreyfuss

If you’re still obsessing over last night’s episode of The Originals, we’ve got your next vampy fix. Recently, Natalie Dreyfuss—who plays badass teen witch Cassie on the supernatural drama—stopped by our New York office, and she was ready to spill her secrets when it came to styling her perfectly-coiffed pixie cut (and if her last name sounds familiar, it’s because she’s the niece of Richard Dreyfuss!).

“No. 1 is finding the right products,” she tells InStyle. “You think it’s going to be super easy, but my product life has tripled. You really have to play with your waxes and pomades, because everyone’s hair has a different thickness.”

Alex Reside for InStyle.com

So, what works best for the actress? “My favorite thing is Gatsby gel ($14; rickysnyc.com),” Dreyfuss says. “I used to be a ballerina, so I would slick my hair back with gel. This one works for everything—I swear it’s the best product I’ve ever had.”

Courtesy Photo

To look the part of her wicked character on The Originals, Dreyfuss had to make some changes. “When I started the show, I was actually platinum blonde,” she says. “I think it was a little more angelic looking.” Her dark role may not allow her to return to lighter locks anytime soon, but the actress is more than ready to switch it up when it comes to length. “I like to be constantly changing my hair, and I’m really ready for it to be long again,” she says. “It’s growing out a bit, so I need to cut the back—that’s what you do so you don’t get a mullet-type deal as it grows out.”

If you’re thinking of going shorter, heed Dreyfuss’s warning. “You have to be a confident girl to lose that security blanket of pretty long hair,” she says. “When you wake up in the morning, you’re going to feel mannish—and it’s going to be okay. I wasn’t prepared for that, but now I feel like I’m so good at styling my hair.” Plus, “your hair doesn’t get caught in your scarf!”

Tune in to The CW every Monday at 8 p.m. ET to catch the newest episode of The Originals!